Divide, Conquer and Seed

Spring is here,which puts us past the point of the recliner and remote. The only exception: ball games or American Idol. With temperatures rising a bit this week, it’s as good a time as any to get outside and scout out what crowns are popping up in your perennial beds. When was the last time you divided some of your favorite plants?

For proper health and cultural practices, many of the perennial crowns should be divided every few years. The center of certain perennials can die out. Cleaning up and dividing these crowns rejuvenate the plant. The bonus: additional, healthy plant material to expand your garden vision.

This is harvest season for perennials. Use the months of April and May wisely. The ground is cool, the soil is moist and the perennial crowns are easily accessible without damaging tender, new growth.

If you already divided your perennials last year or your young collection is not quite there, you may want to conquer the veggie garden. If your soil is frost-free and not saturated, it’s workable. So get the packets of pea seeds and start sowing these nutritious sweet tasting veggies. Why reinvent the wheel? Burpee’s home garden link gives you all the details for planting your pea garden. http://www.burpeehomegardens.com/VegetableHerbGardening/PlantDetails.aspx?plantid=5149

Spring is our season to perk up with the flowers; divide, conquer and seed. An old inspirational Latin saying from Horace states it best. “He who has begun has the work half done.” If you read this blog to the end, you’re half-way there. Happy gardening. Annie.

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Image of Cokie deciding on her American Idol Choice by Greg Bilowz